Chapter 344
Chapter 344
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 344
Chapter Title: Chase (1)
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[Ji-mun! Let that bastard go and come back!]
Yi Hwan's telepathic voice burrowed into his ear.
Park Ji-mun, who had been pressing Do Geom hard, swallowed his regret and kicked off the ground, soaring upward.
"Heaven has spared your life."
In the sudden turn of events, Do Geom's eyes trembled.
'A complete defeat for me.'
Tremble...
The shaking soon spread throughout his body.
Do Geom stared at Park Ji-mun's back as he raced toward the Qin Kingdom warriors, biting his lip.
Crunch!
Blood dripped from his lip where his teeth dug in.
He might not have been this furious if he had just fought to the death.
More than the pain of defeat, the humiliation of feeling like his opponent had spared him made his breathing ragged.
Rustle!
"Do Geom!"
Dong Ja-ryang's shout rang out. He was gesturing for Do Geom to come over.
But Do Geom didn't even glance at Dong Ja-ryang, his eyes fixed solely on Park Ji-mun.
'What did he think of me when I scolded my subordinate for interfering?'
Blush!
Fresh humiliation flushed Do Geom's face red.
Usually as cold and composed as they come, he couldn't control his emotions now.
The clash with Park Ji-mun would be etched into him as a wound that wouldn't fade until death.
'Damn it...'
* * *
[We'll break through the retreat path. Ji-mun and I will cover the rear. Mu-gwan, lead them from the front.]
[Understood.]
[Yes, Great Prince.]
Yi Hwan was determined to save as many as possible right now.
'The major threats have thinned out. We can punch through the retreat route before reinforcements arrive.'
The Qin Kingdom warriors' desperate stand had played a big role too. With enemy numbers greatly reduced, the encirclement had loosened, and as long as they avoided mistakes, retreat was feasible.
[Begin, Mu-gwan!]
At Yi Hwan's command, Kim Mu-gwan led the Qin Kingdom warriors in unleashing a fierce assault on the rear. They had chosen the side with fewer foes as their escape route.
Clang!
Crunch!
"Argh!"
"Ugh!"
The surviving half of the Qin Kingdom warriors followed Kim Mu-gwan desperately. They knew full well that to survive, they had no choice but to trust and follow Yi Hwan and the others.
Thud!
A Black Vanguard's head vanished without a trace under Kim Mu-gwan's fist. The Black Vanguard lunging at him next was bisected by two Qin Kingdom warriors.
The retreat path opened faster than expected. The lack of experts who could handle Kim Mu-gwan was the decisive factor, not just numbers.
Kim Mu-gwan glanced back. Yi Hwan and Park Ji-mun were unleashing ferocious attacks on the Zhao Kingdom warriors charging at them.
Kim Mu-gwan shouted at the middle-aged man.
"Don't look back—just run straight ahead!"
"We'll fight alongside you!"
"It's the Great Prince's order—obey!"
"......!"
"Hurry!"
The middle-aged man bit his lip until it bled, staring at Yi Hwan. Then he bolted forward.
Kim Mu-gwan moved to assist Yi Hwan and Park Ji-mun. Just then, figures burst from the underbrush on the left.
Kim Mu-gwan's fists blazed.
Boom!
"Argh!"
"Argh!"
Whoosh!
Blood sprayed from Kim Mu-gwan's left shoulder. A sinister, invisible energy had grazed him from hiding.
Flash!
Another beam shot toward Kim Mu-gwan's chest.
But something intercepted it, deflecting the light.
Thud!
"Run, Mu-gwan!"
Yi Hwan and Park Ji-mun were already right beside him. Dong Ja-ryang and the Zhao Kingdom warriors were hot on their heels.
Kim Mu-gwan leaped ahead.
Yi Hwan followed, firing beams in all directions. Dozens of lines etched the air, piercing their pursuers.
Boom boom boom!
"Gah!"
"Argh!"
Clang clang!
Those who barely blocked stared in awe at the vanishing lights before their eyes.
"A martial art like this in the world..."
"What are you gawking at—pursue them!"
"Chase!"
Dong Ja-ryang overtook them, and the others plunged into the brush after Yi Hwan and his group.
But one man alone, Do Geom, didn't budge from his spot.
A Black Vanguard at the rear turned and yelled at him.
"Why are you standing there? Move!"
Do Geom looked up at the Black Vanguard. The man flinched for a moment.
"You stay here and guide the reinforcements when they arrive."
"......Understood."
Do Geom stared south where Yi Hwan and the others had vanished. Then he kicked off the ground and leaped.
* * *
Follow this path straight down and you'll reach the riverbank, with an island beyond. I've confirmed the water isn't deep, so head to the island and hide without worry.
That was what Yi Hwan had told the middle-aged man before the retreat began.
'There it is!'
The middle-aged man at the lead spotted the island faintly emerging beyond the brush and shouted back.
"Everyone—to the island!"
The middle-aged man plunged into the river first.
Fortunately, as Yi Hwan said, the water wasn't deep, and the Qin Kingdom warriors swam across to the island with little trouble.
The first ashore, the middle-aged man, looked north where Yi Hwan and the others were descending.
Clang!
Flash!
"Argh!"
"Ugh!"
Flashes, explosions, and agonized screams echoed from there.
'Please...'
Once all Qin Kingdom warriors had crossed, the middle-aged man bellowed.
"We must keep the enemy from landing! Form groups and guard all sides!"
"Yes!"
He looked north again. Yi Hwan, Kim Mu-gwan, and Park Ji-mun were emerging from the woods.
"All three are safe!"
"Come across, Great Prince!"
The Qin Kingdom warriors screamed at Yi Hwan.
Yi Hwan's group launched one more attack to shake pursuers, then skimmed across the water like it was land, landing on the island.
Whoosh!
Yi Hwan urged the middle-aged man immediately upon landing.
"We need to cross to the other side of the river—hurry."
"Pardon? Weren't we holding here until reinforcements?"
"The Zhao camp is closer from here. Their reinforcements will arrive before ours. Move now."
"......!"
* * *
Dong Ja-ryang smirked wryly at his subordinates leaping toward the island.
"We got hit hard this time."
Screech!
An azure condor hovered above his head.
Do Geom landed beside Dong Ja-ryang. Dong Ja-ryang turned with a strange glint in his eyes.
"Why'd you lag?"
"Had some thinking to do."
"Thinking? Hilarious. What could you possibly have to think about in that situation?"
"Not chasing?"
"No rush. With the condor, we'll catch them before they reach Qin territory."
"We might catch the Qin warriors, but the Great Prince's group seems like a lost cause..."
Snort.
"You're still green, Do Geom."
"......"
"Yi Hwan wants to save them. Otherwise, he'd have slipped away alone long ago. Wouldn't have risked covering the rear either."
"So you're saying since he'll stick with the Qin warriors to the end, no need to hurry—we'll catch them anyway?"
Grin.
"Let's go."
Boom!
Dong Ja-ryang and Do Geom kicked off the bank and soared.
* * *
Yi Tae-ji was dumbfounded.
'All because of that mad bastard...'
He couldn't comprehend this mess. Things wouldn't have escalated if Dong Ja-ryang hadn't acted on his own.
It was all because Dong Ja-ryang was blinded by glory.
No, setting that aside, missing the chance to kill Yi Hwan was the most regrettable and infuriating part.
Yet doubt lingered too.
'Could I have taken him down?'
Before facing Yi Hwan, he'd been dead certain he could. He had the Absolute Demon Art: Hellfire Blaze, after all.
But Yi Hwan knew about it.
'He knew about Hellfire Blaze yet wore that relaxed expression.'
That irked Yi Tae-ji.
If he knew of Hellfire Blaze, he should know how terrifying it was.
Yet Yi Hwan was utterly calm. At first, Yi Tae-ji thought it bluff, but seeing him nearly overwhelm Dong Ja-ryang changed that.
'He fought with those hidden in the woods in mind too. And still dominated Dong Ja-ryang.'
Dong Ja-ryang had gained momentum from Yi Hwan's near-ambush, but Yi Hwan's power surpassed Yi Tae-ji's imagination.
Snicker.
Yi Tae-ji suddenly let out a hollow laugh.
"Nothing's ever easy. Damn it."
The chance he'd craved was ruined by Dong Ja-ryang. Even more bitter was the growing doubt that he might not have beaten Yi Hwan even if he'd fought.
"Should I borrow Mother's inner power when I get back?"
Muttering cryptically, Yi Tae-ji accelerated forward.
Qin Kingdom warriors crossing the river on the far side came into view, Yi Hwan, Kim Mu-gwan, and Park Ji-mun behind them.
Thud!
"Argh!"
A lead Zhao warrior crumpled, spraying blood.
Yi Tae-ji narrowed his eyes at the faint beam dissolving around the warrior.
His aides approached then.
Yi Tae-ji turned and sent a quick telepathic message.
[Don't advance to the front no matter what.]
* * *
Boom! Boom!
Two signal flares burst in the sky. Fired by Zhao Kingdom warriors.
'At this rate, enemy reinforcements might arrive first, trapping us in another encirclement.'
The Qin warriors had flares too, but firing them here would be pointless. Too deep in enemy territory—no Qin troops would see and rush over.
Yi Hwan eyed the pursuing Zhao warriors. Spotting Yi Tae-ji lagging slightly at the front, he frowned.
'I should have eliminated that one...'
Just as Yi Tae-ji regretted not killing Yi Hwan, Yi Hwan regretted the same about him.
'Next time, I might have to suffer greater losses...'
Yi Seong-ji had said as much.
He'd grasped Hellfire Blaze's secrets but not reached its pinnacle.
And Yi Tae-ji likely hadn't either.
Yi Seong-ji's confidence stemmed from the limits of the incantations in Empress Hong Seon's ancient text.
If one reached Hellfire Blaze's pinnacle, the demonic arts' hierarchy could upend.
That was written in the ancient text Yi Hwan found in the Imperial Treasury.
He didn't take it at face value, but couldn't ignore it entirely.
Should Yi Tae-ji truly master it to the peak, surpassing Heavenly Demon, Blood Demon, and Mad Demon arts, it'd be a massive threat.
Thus, failing to eliminate him this time left deeper regret.
Screech!
As Yi Hwan struggled to shake the regret, a hawk's cry echoed overhead.
The massive azure condor circled the island leisurely, tracking the Qin warriors' path.
Yi Hwan subtly frowned at the condor shadowing them relentlessly. It felt like no matter where they went, it was watching—unsettling.
Yi Hwan eyed the pursuing Zhao warriors again.
Distance: about thirty zhang. With their lesser-powered warriors slowing them, they couldn't widen the gap further.
'I'll save as many as I can.'